Press Release
Beaumont man pleads guilty to kidnapping girls after theft in Sulphur
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Louisiana
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Beaumont man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping two girls after stealing the truck in which they were seated.
Henry Dwight Moore, 23, of Beaumont, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to one count of kidnapping. According to the guilty plea, Moore drove a black truck into a Lowe’s parking lot in Sulphur, La., on December 13, 2015. He stole a customer’s purse who had walked away from it to return a shopping cart. A bystander saw Moore take the purse, and the bystander jumped into the back of Moore’s truck as he drove away. The truck’s engine died at one point, and the bystander attempted to confront him. Moore got the engine started again and sped off leaving the bystander in the truck bed. Eventually the bystander pleaded to be let out of the back of the truck, and Moore stopped to allow him to leave. Moore then continued westbound on Interstate 10 in the rain. He lost control and struck the side of a Toyota Tundra truck. After the accident, Moore’s truck died again, and he and the Tundra pulled over to the side of the road. After the Tundra owner exited the truck and walked to the passenger side to inspect the damage, Moore jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off. Inside the Tundra truck were the owner’s daughters ages 5 and 7. Moore told the girls he was going to drop them off at a police station, but he didn’t. He abandoned the car and the girls on the side of the road after reaching Orange, Texas. One of the girls located her father’s cell phone and was able to reach help.
Moore faces up to life in prison, not more than five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a December 6, 2017 sentencing date.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
Updated October 13, 2017